


Bitter's End

by Carlos_Of_Night_Vale



Series: Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Family Bonding, Family Feels, Grace? an icon? absolutely!, Reggie's shit but not for long
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-12-26 02:31:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18273986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carlos_Of_Night_Vale/pseuds/Carlos_Of_Night_Vale
Summary: Sometimes your eccentric billionaire of an adopted father causes the apocalypse by trying to stop it via child abuse, sometimes nature takes its course and prevents the whole thing on accident.AU where almost everything is the same but Reginald dies when the kids are four and it makes all the difference.





	Bitter's End

**The Day Of**

     The children are four years old when their father dies. Pogo found him in the study, slumped over his notebook, which is where he had been all night. Grace broke the news to the children, but she knew that they really didn't know what that meant. Despite this, she made sure to be gentle with them when they asked over and over and over again. She explained every time they asked, realizing that they wouldn't truly understand until they saw the grave. 

**One Week After**

     Just over a week later, they were all standing in the courtyard of the house with Pogo holding Reginald's ashes and giving a small eulogy and the reality set in. Number One was trying not to cry, but his eyes were spilling over anyway. Number Two was huddled by her legs, holding her hand tightly. She could feel the wetness on her leg where his face was during in the side of her skirt. Number Three was standing next to Number One with his hand gripped tightly in hers. Number Five was standing with Number Seven, Number Six, and Number Four. When it was finished, she took them inside and made lunch. She rang the bell as usual, but this time-this time she stayed with them while they ate. She sat in Reginald's spot and did her needlepoint. She did not put on one of the records that usually played in the silent dining room. After a few minutes, Number Four started to speak, only for Number Five to kick him swiftly under the table and the rest to look up at him in something close to fear. Grace glanced up from her needle work and saw the fear in their eyes. She smiled gently, "It's alright, children. You won't be punished for speaking at the table anymore," she turned to Number Four, who had his hands over his mouth, "Now, what did you need, dear?"

     "Salt please?" he asked quietly, gesturing to the salt shaker in front of her.

     She put her wheel down and grabbed the shaker. She stood up and walked over to Number Four, putting it down next to his plate and smiling at him. "There you are, dear," and she walked back to Reg-no, _her_ seat at the table and continued with her work. The children all looked at each other, a bit shocked, but then Number Four grinned widely and happily added salt to his meal. The rest realized that meals were no longer silent.

     Grace noticed with delight that dinner was much louder.

**One Year After**

    The children are five years old now, and more of them are starting to display their powers. Vanya had already come into her own, but the others hadn't. Now Number Five was starting to jump all over the house, and Number One was breaking things at a rate that most parents would find alarming. Grace didn't. She was thrilled. 

     She and Pogo had taken over the children's training after Reginald's death, and they were all progressing very well, including Number Seven. Grace had looked through Reginald's notes after the funeral and she had felt the closest thing she could to anger. The things she had written about hi-no, _her_ children were appalling. Claiming that Number Seven was 'too dangerous' and that he would've had Number Three make her think she was ordinary. The trainings were ineffective because he was hurting them. Hurting her children. She was almost glad he was dead.

     Grace was making lunch, and she realized that her children are still only numbers.

     When they sat down for lunch that day-Grace with her needlepoint and the children with their food-laughing and talking amongst themselves, Grace spoke up. 

     "Children?" she called, waiting as the table go quiet.

     "Yes mom?" Number Two asked, sharing glances with his siblings.

     She smiled gently at all of them, her children, that she _loved_ with everything she was made of, and asked, "How would you like to have names instead of numbers?"

**Two Years After**

    Grace was working on her needlepoint on her bench after as Pogo walked by. She looked up, then back at her needlepoint, "The children are six now."

    Pogo paused, "Yes, indeed they are." He turned to her, "What are you thinking?"

     She looked up again, "I think we should put them in school."

     Pogo smiled at her, "I think that is a wise decision, Grace."

     Several hours later, Grace rang the bell for the children down for lunch after doing extensive research on the best schools in the area, an area that could accommodate all of her children, because she knew Five would never want to leave Vanya by herself. 

     Grace smiled as Klaus floated into the room followed closely by Ben and Diego, Five teleporting down almost immediately after, and Vanya came down with Luther and Allison. She let them get settled for a while. When they were almost done, she put her wheel down and stood. "Children?" she called, waiting for the table to die down.

     "Whatever broke, Luther did it!" Diego stated, causing the children to laugh and Luther to look as offended as a six-year-old could.

     "Now, you two, that's enough. I wanted to ask you all something very important."

      "What is it, mom?" Vanya asked.

     Grace smiled at her children, knowing that she wanted them to have the best lives that they could. "How would you all like to go to school in the fall?"

**Author's Note:**

> This is gonna be the happiest series I write, I can feel it. Title is from the Roxy Music song of the same name, specifically the version from Velvet Goldmine.


End file.
